Dai Kuen 低拳

Wing Chun has Chong Kuen 沖拳 (Thrust Fist) but it also has another fist which Dai Kuen 低拳 which means Lower Fist.

This is different than the Chung Kuen, which is a vertical fist. Dai Kuen is horizontal with the palm facing upward. We still hit with bottom three knuckles. We do not punch it from the centre of the body, we punch from the side of the body most of time. So our body steps to the side of the opponent. Of course we can punch from wherever our hands are, we do not need to bring our hands to the side and then hit with Dai Kuen. In Biu Zi 標指 we have Dai Kuen which after double Laap Sau 擸手. So it means Dai Kuen is good to be used on Laap Sau which we use by pulling the opponent to the side of us and then hitting them with Dai Kuen.
Dai Kuen only hits the lower part of the body, usually is the abdomen area. We can first hit the opponent’s upper body with another strike and then when they cannot defend it we can hit low with Dai Kuen.

The principle, however, is that we only use Dai Kuen when the opponent cannot defend against it. A lot of times when we are practising Chi Sau some people like to hit low but they forget the upper part of the body. Then, when they go to attack their opponent with Dai Kuen, they get hit on the face. So unless our opponent can defend or cannot hit us back, is not worth it to hit low.